Meet Jonathan Weissbart, one of the partner owners of S Weissbart. S Weissbart is a family-run diamond dealing business (dealing since 1958), with offices in Hatton Garden and the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. If you ever get the pleasure of visiting their London office, Jonathan will be glad to share his diamond knowledge with you (with a few compulsory dad jokes mixed in).
What inspired S Weissbart to join the Responsible Jewellery Council, and how does RJC membership reflect your company’s values and goals?
We’d been aware of the RJC for many years and were interested in joining. Additionally, one of our larger clients was encouraging their suppliers to join as members, so we decided to take the plunge!
At S Weissbart, we feel strongly committed to maintaining honest and transparent connections with our customers, suppliers and (of course) our members of staff. Our RJC membership works hand in hand with what we’ve valued for decades, upholding high standards of ethical business practices and take our responsibility to our community seriously.
Since joining the RJC, what achievements are you most proud of, particularly in advancing responsible and ethical business practices?
As a part of our certification journey to achieving the RJC’s Code of Practice (2019 & 2024) and Laboratory Grown Material Standards, we’ve taken every opportunity to incorporate new developments into the family business.
Personally, I’m most proud of the way that we’ve incorporated enhanced trainings for our employees in multiple key areas. Whether it’s about wellbeing in the workplace, diversity and inclusion or anti-bribery practices, we’re holding an increasing amount of conversations that make a positive impact.
Family and heritage are central to your business. How does S Weissbart approach passing down knowledge, skills, and values to the next generation?
My father, the late Saul Weissbart (S Weissbart), firmly believed in dedicating time to upskilling the younger generation. He passed that practice onto my brother (David Weissbart) and me, we always try to take the time to sit with new jewellers who are looking to learn more. We don’t live in a vacuum and aren’t just here to look after ourselves; we’re committed to helping the wider community whenever we can.
On the flip side, Dad also always said that no matter your age, everyone has something that they can teach others. It doesn’t matter how new you are to the business or how young you are, if anyone has an idea at Weissbart’s, they’re always listened to and taken seriously.
What lessons or traditions from previous generations continue to shape how S Weissbart operates today?
Above all else, we’re here to treat everyone with care and respect, everyone is important. Also, we don’t need to take ourselves too seriously. There’s always time here for sharing corny jokes and building connections through fun and laughter.
Looking ahead, what changes or developments would you most like to see in the jewellery industry, particularly in terms of sustainability, ethics, and transparency?
Looking ahead, I’d like to see the industry continue to raise the bar on ethical practices. Although we’re a cottage industry, there’s always room for improvement in the professional space. It all comes down to the sharing of ideas. Where possible, companies throughout the supply chain should be considering how they can go even further than the bare minimum in promoting (and living by) ethical and sustainable practices.
For example, long-time traders can give younger people a chance to learn more, by offering them apprenticeship opportunities or mentoring programmes. And if there are businesses who are already operating sustainably in the environmental area, they can use their influence to encourage others to do the same.
As a side note, I’ve been very glad to see the continual increase in female leadership within the jewellery industry over the past decade. It’s extremely encouraging.
Are there any upcoming projects, initiatives, or long-term goals that S Weissbart is excited to share with the industry?
Our top priority has always been maintaining a safe and positive working environment in both of our offices. So, in terms of culture, we’ve been taking the initiative to further enrich our learning on how we can all support each other as a team. Recently, we’ve held in-house workshops on active bystander skills to champion that goal.
On the product side of things, we’re happy to share that we’ve increased our stock and offerings of laboratory grown diamonds. We’re also working on a curated set of ready-made diamond jewellery pieces that our trade customers will have access to. These changes came about through listening to our customers’ feedback on how we can help them meet their changing needs.
As for other projects and initiatives… you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for more updates. We’ve got something exciting brewing and can only share a small hint: natural diamonds are still at the centre of our story.
